Isn’t everyone glad, my vote didn’t count for Big East Player of the Year ( and to steal from Bill Simmons, “the answer, as always, I’m an idiot.”)?
Connecticut’s Hasheem Thabeet and Pittsburgh’s DeJuan Blair, two of the nation’s top centers, have been named BIG EAST Co-Players of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches who were not permitted to vote for their own players.
The sharing of Player of the Year honors is the first since 2001-02 when two players from the same schools, Connecticut’s Caron Butler and Pittsburgh’s Brandin Knight, were tabbed by the BIG EAST coaches. Splitting the award between two players has occurred five times in the 30-year history of the BIG EAST.
Both players helped their respective teams to 15-3 BIG EAST records which tied for the second place in the conference.
This season, Thabeet was the defensive anchor to Connecticut’s success. The 7-3 junior averaged 13.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and a blocked shot mark of 4.5 that is second in the nation. With 89 blocks in league games this season, Thabeet is already second on the all-time BIG EAST blocks list with 243, trailing Patrick Ewing by only five. Thabeet has been named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the past two seasons.
Blair was the force in the paint for the Panthers. The 6-7 center averaged 15.6 points and a league-leading 12.4 boards. He shot 59.6 percent from the floor and posted 17 double-doubles. The sophomore was the only unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team. Last year, Blair was named BIG EAST Co-Rookie of the Year.
No tally of the final votes to see if Sam Young (arguably) took any votes from Blair. The ballot had to be in on Friday — before Sam Young overpowered UConn again.
The Pitt press release notes that Blair is the third Pitt player to get BE Player of the Year honors with Knight and Charles Smith.
Blair was also named the District II POY by the US Basketball Writers Association. District II encompasses NY, NJ, DE, DC, PA and WV. Coach Dixon took Coach of the Year honors. On their all-D-II team Blair, Sam Young and Levance Fields were all included.
Gary Parrish at CBS Sportsline lists his picks for Conference POYs and COYs. He gives the Big East awards to DeJuan Blair and Coach Dixon.
Parrish also likes Blair enough to name him to his list of 1st-team All-Americans. And he put Sam Young on the 3d team.
Chas we forgive your vote for POY.
If DeJuan does return, he can well get his jersey retired because I believe this will make next year’s team a legit Top 5 or 10 team …. especially once all of the incoming talent gets saome game experience and develops.